Tuesday, September 21, 2010

GUIDELINES ON THE FILING OF CERTIFICATES OF CANDIDACY IN CONNECTION WITH THE OCTOBER 25, 2010 BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS

Promulgation: 21 September 2010

The Commission on Elections, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code, Republic Act No. 9164, and other election laws, RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to promulgate the following guidelines on the filing of certificates of candidacy in connection with the October 25, 2010 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

SECTION 1.Officials to be elected. - The officials to be elected in each barangay are the following:

(2) At least fifteen (15) years old but less than eighteen (18) years old on election day;

(3) Able to read and write Filipino, English or the local dialect;

(4) Qualified members of the Katipunan ng Kabataan of the barangay where they intend to run for office and residents thereof at least one (1) year immediately preceding the election; and

(5) Must not have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

SEC. 3.Disqualifications.- The following are disqualified from running for any elective barangay and sangguniang kabataan positions:

(a) Those sentenced by final judgment for an offense involving moral turpitude or for an offense punishable by one (1) year or more of imprisonment, and within two (2) years after service of sentence;

(b) Those removed from office as a result of an administrative case;

(c) Those convicted by final judgment for violating the oath of allegiance to the Republic;

(d) Those with dual citizenship unless at the time of filing of the certificate of candidacy, he makes a personal and sworn renunciation of any and all foreign citizenship before any public officer authorized to administer an oath;

(e) Fugitives from justice in criminal or nonpolitical cases here or abroad. A fugitive from justice includes not only those who flee after conviction to avoid punishment but likewise those who, after being charged, flee to avoid prosecution;

(f) Permanent residents in a foreign country or those who have acquired the right to reside abroad and continue to avail themselves of the same right after the effectivity of the Local Government Code;

(g) The insane or feeble-minded;

(h) Any candidate who, in an action or protest in which he is a party, is declared by final decision of a competent court to be guilty of having, or is found by the Commission to have committed the following acts shall be disqualified from continuing as a candidate or, if already elected, from holding office:

(1) Given money or other material consideration to influence or induce voters to vote for or against a candidate, or to abstain from voting, or to corrupt government officials and employees performing election functions;

(2) Committed acts of terrorism to enhance his candidacy;

(3) Spent in his election campaign an amount in excess of that allowed by law;

(4) Solicited, received, or made any contribution prohibited under Secs. 89, 95, 96, 97 and 104 of the Omnibus Election Code;

(5) Violated any of Secs. 83, 86 and 261 (pars. e, k, v and cc, sub par. 6) of the same Code; or

(6) Those who have been elected and served for three (3) consecutive terms in the same position. Voluntary renunciation of office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term for which the elective official was elected.

SEC. 4.Candidates holding appointive or elective office. - Appointive barangay, city/municipal, provincial, regional, or national officials or employees, or those in the civil or military service, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations, shall be considered ipso facto resigned from office and must vacate the same at the start of the day of filing of his certificate of candidacy for a barangay or sangguniang kabataan office.

For incumbent municipal, city, provincial and national elective officials running for any barangay elective position shall also be considered ipso facto resigned upon the filing of their certificates of candidacy.

SEC. 5.Certificate of candidacy.- Any person running as candidate for Punong Barangay, Sangguniang Barangay Kagawad, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman or Sangguniang Kabataan Kagawad shall file a sworn certificate of candidacy in triplicate in the form attached herein as Annexes "A", "A-1", "B" and "B-1" respectively. The format of the certificate of candidacy may be obtained from the Election Officer, free of charge or may be downloaded from the Comelec website at www.comelec.gov.ph.

The certificate of candidacy shall be filed during regular working hours, from 8:00 o'clock in the morning to 5:00 o'clock in the afternoon, from October 1, 2010 to October 13, 2010, inclusive, with the Office of the Election Officer of the city/municipality concerned. However, on the last day of filing, the Office of the Election Officer shall receive the certificates of candidacy until 12:00 o'clock midnight.

Certificates of candidacy shall be filed personally or through a duly authorized representative who must present a written authorization under oath. No certificate of candidacy shall be filed or accepted by mail, telegram or facsimile.

No person shall be eligible to run for more than one office, that is, Punong Barangay and Barangay Kagawad, and if he files his certificate of candidacy for more than one office, he shall not be eligible for any one of them. However, before the expiration of the period for the filing of certificate of candidacy, the person who has filed a certificate of candidacy for more than one office may declare under oath the office for which he desires to be elected and cancel the certificate of candidacy for the other office.

In cities/municipalities where there are two or more Election Officers, the certificate of calididacy shall be filed with the Office of the Election Officer having jurisdiction over the barangay where he is a candidate.

The Election Officer or any authorized employee receiving the certificate shall record in separate logbooks, the date and time of receipt of the certificates of candidacy of barangay and sangguniang kabataan candidates. The date and time of receipt shall also be indicated in each copy of the certificate of candidacy.

SEC. 6.Contents of certificate of candidacy.- The certificate of candidacy shall contain the following:

(A) A statement announcing the candidacy of the person filing it;

(b) The position for which he is a candidate;

(c) A statement that he is eligible for said position;

(d) His citizenship, residence and date of birth;

(e) His post office address for election purpose;

(f) His profession or occupation;

(g) A statement that he is eligible for the office he is running for;

(h) A statement that he will support and defend the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines and maintain true faith and allegiance thereto, and that he will obey the laws and legal orders promulgated by the duly-constituted authorities;

(i) A declaration that he is not a permanent resident of, or an immigrant to, a foreign country;

(j) That he assumes the obligations imposed by his oath voluntarily, without mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that the facts stated in the certificate of candidacy are true to the best of his knowledge; and

(k) Such other data as may be required by the Commission.

Unless a candidate has officially changed his name through a court approved proceeding, a candidate shall use in his certificate of candidacy the name by which he has been baptized, or if he has not been baptized in any church or religion, the name registered in the office of the local civil registrar or any other name allowed under the provisions of existing law or, in the case of a Muslim, his Hadj name after performing the prescribed religious pilgrimage. However, when there are two (2) or more candidates for the same office with the same name and surname, each candidate, upon being made aware of such fact, shall state his paternal and maternal surnames, except an incumbent who may continue to use the name and surname stated in his certificate of candidacy when he was elected. He may also include one (1) nickname or stage name by which he is generally or popularly known in the locality. Titles such as Don, Hadji, Datu, Atty., Dr. or other words of similar import shall not be allowed.

SEC. 7.Certificates of candidacy filed by persons who are not registered voters or those filed through mail, telegram, facsimile. Effect. - Certificates of candidacy of persons who are not registered voters in the barangay where they intend to run; or those filed through mail, telegram or facsimile shall not be accepted. For this purpose, the Election Officer shall issue a Certification to the persons whose certificate of candidacy has not been accepted.

SEC. 8.Distribution of certificates of candidacy and preparation of list of candidates.- (a) Copies of the certificate of candidacy shall be distributed by the Election Officer as follows:

(1) For Barangay Officials:

First Copy, to the Election Records and Statistics Department, Commission on Elections, Manila;

Second Copy, to be retained by the Election Officer for his file; and

Third Copy, to be retained by the candidate concerned.

(2) For Sangguniang Kabataan Officials:

First copy, to the Election Records and Statistics Department, Commission on Elections, Manila;

Second copy, to be retained by the Election Officer for his file; and

Third copy, to be retained by the candidate concerned.

(b) Immediately after the last day for the filling of certificates of candidacy, the Election Officer shall prepare a certified consolidated list of all candidates for elective Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials per barangay.

(c) Within two (2) days after the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy, the Election Officer shall transmit to the Election Records and Statistics Department, Commission on Elections, Manila the following:

a copy of the said list of candidates together with the first copy of the certificates of candidacy of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan candidates; and

a list of persons whose certificates of candidacy were not accepted and the reason/s for non-acceptance.

(d) At least seven (7) days before election day or not later than October 18, 2010, the Election Officer shall post copies of said lists in the barangay hall and in three, (3) other conspicuous places in the barangay.

(e) The Election Records and Statistics Department shall acknowledge receipt of said copies and list within two (2) days from receipt thereof.

SEC. 9.Withdrawal of certificate of candidacy. - Any person who has filed a certificate of candidacy may withdraw it at any time before election day. A sworn declaration of withdrawal shall be filed personally, in triplicate with the Office of the Election Officer where the certificate of candidacy was filed. The certificate of candidacy shall be deemed withdrawn upon filing of the sworn declaration of withdrawal.

The declaration of withdrawal shall be distributed in the same manner as the certificates of candidacy, furnishing a copy or copies thereof to the Board(s) of Election Tellers concerned.

The copy for the Election Records and Statistics Department, Commission on Elections, Manila shall be transmitted within twenty-four (24) hours from the filing of the declaration. The Election Records and Statistics Department shall immediately acknowledge receipt thereof.

The filing or withdrawal of a certificate of candidacy shall not affect any civil, criminal or administrative liabilities of the candidate concerned.

SEC. 10.Substitution of candidates. - There shall be no substitution of candidates for sangguniang kabataan elections, but substitution by the spouse shall be allowed for candidates for barangay elections.

The substitute for a candidate who died or suffered permanent incapacity or disqualified by final judgment, may file his certificate of candidacy up to mid-day of election day, 12 o'clock noon of October 25, 2010. If the death or permanent disability should occur between the day before the election and mid-day of election day, the substitute candidate may file the certificate with any Board of Election Tellers (BET) in the political subdivision where he is a candidate.

SEC. 11.Authority of the Election Officer to administer oath. - For purposes of the barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections the Election Officer shall be authorized to administer oaths, free of charge, on all matters related to the conduct of said elections, including the administration of oath to certificates of candidacy.

SEC. 12.Effectivity. - This Resolution shall take effect on the seventh day after its publication in two (2) daily newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

SEC. 13.Dissemination.- The Education and Information Department shall cause the immediate publication of this resolution, give the same the widest dissemination possible and furnish copies thereof to all Regional Election Directors, Provincial Election Supervisors and Election Officers.

S0 ORDERED.

(Sgd.) JOSE A.R. MELOChairman

(Sgd.) RENE V. SARMIENTOCommissioner

(Sgd.) NICODEMO T. FERRERCommissioner

(Sgd.) LUCENITO N. TAGLECommissioner

(Sgd.) ARMANDO C. VELASCO Commissioner

(Sgd.) ELIAS R. YUSOPHCommissioner

(Voted in favor of this resolution, but on official business at the time of its signing.)GREGORIO Y. LARRAZABALCommissioner

Monday, August 16, 2010

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has called on the public to help them identify flying voters who applied for registration during the recently concluded voters’ registration period in connection with the October 25, 2010 Barangay elections.In a statement, COMELEC spokesman James Jimenez announced that COMELEC Offices nationwide is set to post on Monday, August 16, 2010, a list of voters who applied for registration.

“We are calling on the public to help us identify flying voters by looking at the list of registrants that will be posted outside the Office of the Election Officer in your area on Monday. If you see people who are not residents in your Barangay, report it to your Election Officer so that they may be excluded from the voters list, if necessary,” said Jimenez.

Republic Act 8189 or the Voters Registration Act of 1996 states that any voter, candidate, or representative of a registered political party may challenge, in writing and under oath, any application for registration.

Opposition to contest a registrant’s application, said Jimenez, will be heard by the Election Registration Boards (ERB) for approval or disapproval.

According to COMELEC Resolution 9007, the last day to file opposition to the applications for registration/transfer of registration records is on August 18, 2010. Election Registration Boards (ERBs) will be hearing all applications on August 20, 2010.

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Commission on Elections, in a resolution, has set the dates for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) voters’ registration to August 6, 2010 until August 15, 2010.

COMELEC Resolution No. 9004, promulgated July 12, 2010, stressed on the value of having an “assembly of youth” in every Barangay. Called the “Katipunan ng Kabataan,” its primary objective according to Article 202, Rule XXVII of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Local Government Code of 1991, is “to enhance the social, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, moral, moral, spiritual and physical development of the youth of the country.”

The COMELEC said any Filipino citizen who are at least fifteen (15) but below eighteen (18) years of age and are residents of the Barangay where they intend to vote for at least six (6) months, may register as members of the Katipunan ng Kabataan.

“The applications for registration as members of the Katipunan ng Kabataan shall be filed from 8:00 o’ clock in the morning to 7:00 o’ clock in the evening, at the Office of the Election Officer of the city/municipality where the applicant resides,” stated the COMELEC resolution.

The COMELEC said SK voters may register even on weekends.

Applicants must present any of the following documents when they register: A) Certificate of Live Birth, B) Baptismal Certificate, C) School Records or any other document that will establish his identity and other qualifications.

The COMELEC however clarified that Community Tax Certificates or cedulas or certification from the Barangay will not be honored.